College Football 2012: The Rest of the Nation's One Shot to Take Down the SEC

Let’s start off with a few statements of fact. The Alabama Crimson Tide and the Louisiana State Tigers are very good teams. Both teams are loaded with big, physical monsters that are going to maul pretty much anyone standing in their way, including each other.

From a talent standpoint, most of the rest of the country is not going to have much success against the Tigers and Tide. If either team had a loss going into their “Game of the Century Part III” on November 3, everyone in America would be shocked.

Couple that with the fact that the SEC as a whole is down a bit this season (albeit a small bit), and it seems fairly likely that the only loss either school will have will be against the other. It is very obvious that both teams will be double-digit favorites in every other game they play this season.

The third fact to recognize is that these two will not be matching up in the BCS title game again this year. The pollsters and general public alike did not like that situation last season and will make sure it doesn't happen again this year.

The fourth and final fact is that the majority of the public west of Arkansas and north of Kentucky does not care for the SEC in general. They would like nothing more than to see the run of six consecutive BCS national championships for the SEC end immediately, if not sooner.

This article is targeted towards that last group of college football fans.

This season you have a chance to see that dream become a reality. One solitary chance.

Oregon fans, I’m sorry, but it’s not your team. We all agree Oregon is a ton of fun to watch. Up and down the field they go piling up points by the dozens against everyone they play.

Who has the best shot at beating LSU or Bama?

OregonOklahomaUSCFlorida StateSubmit Votevote to see results

Who has the best shot at beating LSU or Bama?

Oregon

14.2%

Oklahoma

3.7%

USC

3.7%

Florida State

78.5%

Total votes: 438

But at the end of the day, Chip Kelly and his speedy little fellas will get physically manhandled up front by the likes of an LSU or 'Bama. Auburn did it two years ago. LSU did it last year. It would happen again this year.

USC fans, you would be in worse shape than the Ducks. Matt Barkley is a fine quarterback. And those receivers? Just wow. But you think Stanford was hard to block? Line up against these beasts for 60 minutes.

Oklahoma fans, you team started off a little slow, but should be okay overall. However, there’s a lot of talent in the Big 12 this season top to bottom and I just can’t see the Sooners being dominant enough overall to win out.

Maybe it ends this week for Oklahoma when they take on Kansas State. Or maybe Texas can take them down. TCU? Texas Tech? Baylor?

The more talented LSU and 'Bama squads would definitely take down the Sooners if it gets to that point. OU just doesn’t have the horses to stay with them.

No, the people who despise the Southeastern Conference have but one shining light this season. Oddly enough that group of young men also reside right in the heart of SEC country.

Of all of the so called contenders this season, the Florida State Seminoles are the one group that can match up with the SEC West behemoths from a talent standpoint.

FSU is big, physical and fast on the defensive side of the ball.

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

They have an experienced quarterback who is capable of making plays.

The team is loaded with offensive and special teams playmakers.

For the first time in years, the 'Noles also have a big and experienced offensive line that may be able to at least hold its own against the likes of Barkevious Mingo and Jesse Williams.

Will Florida State crash and burn this season like we’ve seen them do many times before? It’s very possible. Consistency hasn’t exactly been a staple of Jimbo Fisher’s stay in Tallahassee.

But if the people who hate the SEC and all it stands for want the conference to eat a bit of humble pie this season there is really only one thing they can do.

Start doing the tomahawk chop and make FSU the preferred team of everyone west of the Mississippi and north of the Mason Dixon.